un|pun|ished /ʌ npʌ n I ʃt/ ADJ [v-link ADJ , ADJ n, ADJ after v] If a criminal or crime goes unpunished , the criminal is not punished. □ [+ by ] Persistent criminals have gone unpunished by the courts. □ I have been amazed at times that cruelty can go unpunished.
un|quali|fied /ʌ nkwɒ l I fa I d/
1 ADJ If you are unqualified , you do not have any qualifications, or you do not have the right qualifications for a particular job. □ [+ for ] She was unqualified for the job. □ Unqualified members of staff at the hospital were not sufficiently supervised.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Unqualified means total or unlimited. [EMPHASIS ] □ The event was an unqualified success. □ They have given almost unqualified backing to the government.
un|ques|tion|able /ʌnkwe stʃənəb ə l/ ADJ If you describe something as unquestionable , you are emphasizing that it is so obviously true or real that nobody can doubt it. [EMPHASIS ] □ He inspires affection and respect as a man of unquestionable integrity. □ There is an unquestionable link between job losses and deteriorating services. ● un|ques|tion|ably /ʌnkwe stʃənəbli/ ADV □ They have seen the change as unquestionably beneficial to the country. □ He is unquestionably a star.
un|ques|tioned /ʌnkwe stʃənd/
1 ADJ You use unquestioned to emphasize that something is so obvious, real, or great that nobody can doubt it or disagree with it. [EMPHASIS ] □ His commitment has been unquestioned. □ The play was an immediate and unquestioned success in London.
2 ADJ If something or someone is unquestioned , they are accepted by everyone, without anyone doubting or disagreeing. □ Stalin was the unquestioned ruler of the Soviet Union from the late 1920s until his death in 1953.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] If you describe someone's belief or attitude as unquestioned , you are emphasizing that they accept something without any doubt or disagreement. [EMPHASIS ] □ Royalty is regarded with unquestioned reverence.
un|ques|tion|ing /ʌnkwe stʃən I ŋ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a person or their beliefs as unquestioning , you are emphasizing that they accept something without any doubt or disagreement. [EMPHASIS ] □ Isabella had been taught unquestioning obedience. □ For the last 20 years, I have been an unquestioning supporter of comprehensive schools. ● un|ques|tion|ing|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ She supported him unquestioningly.
un|quote /ʌ nkwoʊt/ PHRASE You can say quote before and unquote after a word or phrase, or quote, unquote before or after it, to show that you are quoting someone or that you do not believe that a word or phrase used by others is accurate. [SPOKEN ] □ He drowned in a boating quote 'accident' unquote.
un|rav|el /ʌnræ v ə l/ (unravels , unravelling , unravelled ) in AM, use unraveling , unraveled 1 VERB If something such as a plan or system unravels , it breaks up or begins to fail. □ [V ] His government began to unravel because of a banking scandal.
2 VERB If you unravel something that is knotted, woven, or knitted, or if it unravels , it becomes one straight piece again or separates into its different threads. □ [V n] He could unravel a knot that others wouldn't even attempt. □ [V ] The stairway carpet is so frayed it threatens to unravel.
3 VERB If you unravel a mystery or puzzle, or if it unravels , it gradually becomes clearer and you can work out the answer to it. □ [V n] A young mother has flown to Iceland to unravel the mystery of her friend's disappearance. □ [V ] Gradually, with an intelligent use of flashbacks, Yves' story unravels.
un|read /ʌ nre d/ ADJ [ADJ after v, ADJ n, v-link ADJ ] If a book or other piece of writing is unread , you or other people have not read it, for example because it is boring or because you have no time. □ All his unpublished writing should be destroyed unread. □ He caught up on months of unread periodicals.
un|read|able /ʌ nriː dəb ə l/
1 ADJ If you use unreadable to describe a book or other piece of writing, you are criticizing it because it is very boring, complicated, or difficult to understand. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ For some this is the greatest novel in the world. For others it is unreadable.
2 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If a piece of writing is unreadable , it is impossible to read because the letters are unclear, especially because it has been damaged in some way. □ …if contracts are unreadable because of the microscopic print.
3 ADJ If someone's face or expression is unreadable , it is impossible to tell what they are thinking or feeling. [LITERARY ] □ He looked back at the woman for approval, but her face was unreadable.
un|real /ʌ nriː l/
1 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say that a situation is unreal , you mean that it is so strange that you find it difficult to believe it is happening. □ It was unreal. Like some crazy childhood nightmare. □ It felt so unreal to be talking about our son like this. ● un|re|al|ity /ʌ nriæ l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ He felt light-headed, with a sense of unreality.
2 ADJ If you use unreal to describe something, you are critical of it because you think that it is not like, or not related to, things you expect to find in the real world. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …unreal financial targets. □ Almost all fictional detectives are unreal.
un|re|al|is|tic /ʌ nriəl I st I k/ ADJ If you say that someone is being unrealistic , you mean that they do not recognize the truth about a situation, especially about the difficulties involved in something they want to achieve. □ [+ in ] There are many who feel that the players are being completely unrealistic in their demands. □ It would be unrealistic to expect such a process ever to be completed. □ …their unrealistic expectations of parenthood. ● un|re|al|is|ti|cal|ly /ʌ nriəl I st I kli/ ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ Tom spoke unrealistically of getting a full-time job that paid an enormous sum. □ …unrealistically high standards of expectation.